Like most of my recent WIP thread, it's about a build that i've started for a while. But i just try to FINISH things !

So, it's the Special Hobby kit, it will be built OOB, except the decals (Begemot) and a few small additions or rather replacement. It will be a Dux made Nieuport 11, with the dull silver grey paint typical of russian built Nieuport and with a skull on the rudder (badass !), and quite dirty.

The kit is quite good, like any other Special Hobby kit (i love them !), but let's be honnest, that's not Wingnut Wings. However, i'm sure that it can give a great model that wont be a shame besides a WNW model.

The supplied engine is cast in resin, which is a good idea. The problem is that it's pretty bad. The quality is good but it doesn't look like a Le Rhône 9C. The cylinders are too skinny and the copper intake pipes look very thin. In fact, that's what made this build stalled : i need a replacement for that engine. The best answer is the WNW Le Rhône 9C, i first wanted to buy some spare but it's long OOP. So i can take it from my last Sopwith Pup kit and as i plan to make other builds with the same engine (another Nie11, a Nie21...), so i need to make copies. And that's what i started to do today.

Let's start with the begining. The cockpit. I drilled the seat so it looks like a Nieuport seat.

I painted the wood grain on the wooden parts and then installed the bracing wires with Gaspatch 1/48 turnbuckles.

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

The fuselage with tail surfaces. As usual with this kind of aircraft (i do that even with WNW kits), i drilled tiny holes and put small bits of rods inside the tailplanes.

I applied with a brush a thick stripe of Mr Surfacer and then sanded it smooth to create the aspect of the inner wooden structure (Special Hobby made it on the sides but not on the belly) :

The kit wheels. I just add a bit of cottonbud to make the valve holes :

Then the engine cowling. I first started to work on the kit one (the dark grey one on the right), thinning it so it looks like sheet metal work and so on. But i think it's wrong. The opening is too large for a Nie11, it looks rather like a Nie16 one. So i use a cowling from a A-model kit (on the left). I've built and prepared the part clean (it's supplied in 2 parts...) and i will make a resin casting later (i still need the original for a later build with the A-model kit, of course !).

And the resin engine supplied in the Special Hobby kit. That's a pity it doesn't look so good as the quality is good.

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

Wow, Nic, you just don't stop! Looking good already, what you've done since you finished the Hawk would have taken me about 3 months!

Jim

Jim, all of this took me way more than 3 months ! They were all builds started for a while ! I just try to finish the most build possible before starting anything new. And i fail as i still start some new builds anyway.

Martinnfb, harvey and Peterpools like this

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

After summing up what has been done so far with this build, here is what i did today.

I will make a 2 parts mould to cast copies of the WNW Le Rhône 9C engine. If it was still available, i'd buy 2 or 3 and it would have been easier for me and a lot faster. Too bad....

First, i assembled the main parts for the cylinders and glued a few rods which will be air vents to avoid air bubbles being trapped :

Then i build a form and add some plasticine (this space will be the second mould later). The most difficult part of the job was to make the plasticine joining the parts as perfectly as possible, so no rubber will flow between them. Then i brushed some vaseline :

And i poured the RTV.

Unfortunately, i dont have enough catalyzer to make the second part of the mould at the moment. I have to order some more. So i think i will get back to this only in one or two weeks.

Rdrunner, Martinnfb and harvey like this

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

Nice work as always, Nicolas! I really need to do the same as you - concentrate on finishing what's already on my bench, before dragging anything else out of the stash. Not as easy as it sounds!

Kev

The modeller's rule is rather "finish one, start two"... Indeed, that's not easy to finish !

But i really need to thin the stash of all these boxes with half built kits.

Martinnfb and harvey like this

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

Hi Nic, amazing work. While ago I got A-model Bebe with intention to build it one day. Your work is highly motivational and at some point I may join you on the double decker journey. But for now I'm gonna stick with lurking in the background.

Of course since january i finished the moulds. But the result was not very good. But i'm a bit lazy and time is expensive, so even if my first casting were awful, i did not want to try making new moulds. Too bad, i'd try to get better castings or correct them thereafter.

Each time i had to cast resin since january, i also casted a few parts of the engine. This week, i make a mould for the engine cowling (not included in the SH kit, the supplied part is for a Nie.16). THe result was far from perfect, too, but it's easy to correct. In fact the only real issue is that i get a LOT of bubbles. But it can be corrected in a few minutes with CA and Mr surfacer.

Here are my resin parts, cleaned of flashes (a lot of flashes !). There are pretty bad, but it's not very visible on the pictures.

And the cowling, straight out of the mould, with the master on the left :

And after removing the casting block and filling the bubbles.

Here are the engine parts after painting a bit of weathering. The copper intakes and crankcase are quite good but the cylinders have a lot of moulding defects. The backside looks pretty good. Unfortunately, it's the backside ! If i'd make the mould again, i should definitely improve the front side. I dont really know what happened.

However, the moulding defects may not be so visible after the assembly as they would be hidden behind the copper intakes and the push rods.

The scratchbuilt push rods (the WNW part was impossible to cast correctly, and it was simpler for me to scratchbuild them) :

And finally the engine painted, assembled and weathered. It's far from perfect, but i can live with it. When seen from more than 30cm, the little flaws are not noticeable anymore, so it's not so bad, and it's still better than the kit resin engine in shape and dimensions.

On the picture, the "engine oil" is still wet on the crankcase.

Edited by Zero77, 21 May 2016 - 01:03 AM.

ScanmanDan, Rdrunner and dutik like this

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.

Yesterday i was able to finish the engine and the cowling, so i glued it. It still need a bit of cleaning (the fit was not very good and i had to glue it with CA, as it was resin), but it should be ok very soon. I still need to prepare the locating holes/pins for the cabane struts, and it will be ready for painting.

Before installing the engine, i added the ignition wires. They are simply made of EZ line. Anyway they wont be very noticeable, except from the rear bottom of the aircraft but they are there.

Then i weathered the firewall and the cowling inside with engine grime and oil. I glued the brass oil tank directly inside the engine cowling as it was simpler to do this way in my opinion. Here you can see it temporary glued on the firewall.

And then with the engine cowling glued.

Here besides a Bf109, which is not even a big aircraft. The Nie-11 is very small.

Following the big Photobucket rip-off attempt, all my pictures on the forum cannot display anymore. I try to reupload the RFI pictures, but i'm not sure i'd have enough time and energy to reupload the pictures of the WIP threads. If you're interested in a specific subject and want me to reupload some pictures, just let me know.